LAKE OF EGYPT, Ill. – People are still recovering from the tornado that hit the area on Memorial Day.
Jacob Heiser, Salvation Army Central Territory Resources manager, says the Salvation Army is still working to help those affected.
He said in the beginning they focused on food and hydration, but now they have moved to waste management.
They brought in a skid steer, a UTV and a command center from their area headquarters.
A significant number of fallen trees and debris are blocking access to people’s properties. The Salvation Army is working with the province to move the debris and trees and get people back to their homes as quickly as possible.
There have been delays in carrying out the work because the roads they are working on are not provincial roads, but private roads. The debris prevents emergency vehicles from reaching it safely.
“So at this particular point, we’re definitely missing gravel, culverts and heavy equipment here,” Heiser said. “The county can’t get on a private road.”
Due to the lack of access, residents need help from private organizations.
Some of those needs include heavy equipment, such as Bobcats, loaders, skid steers and dump trucks, that can remove the items and deliver them to the county fire scene.
Heiser said he finds working and helping residents very rewarding.
“I’ve seen good progress here,” he said. “We have been able to achieve some big goals, but there is certainly still work to be done.”
Mark Dismang has lived near Lake Egypt for the past 15 years, and Memorial Day was the first time he experienced a tornado.
“I opened the back door and said, ‘Honey [his wife], the wind, listen, it’s coming.’ We closed it and ran to the bathroom, and the bathroom floor started shaking. We got there just in time. And then it seemed like it only lasted two minutes, and then it was over,” he said.
Dismang said he didn’t know what to expect when it was finally safe to go out.
“You know, and then I thought it couldn’t be that bad. I walked outside and I was like, ‘What?'” he said. It was his camper in his yard, and his life now spread across the entire property.
‘The walls are on the side here. And this is all that was in the garage. And I think this one, the garage, kind of saved the house because it took the brunt of the damage,” he said.
There were several residents in Dismang’s position who were still struggling.
Roads were in poor condition and debris prevented many people in the area from reaching their homes.
As progress continues, there is much joy, but recovery takes time.
“We’re starting to see people process their emotions,” Heiser said. “We have our house that’s still standing, you know, that’s the most important thing. And of course we’re not hurt or hurt anyway. So I’m grateful for that,” Dismang said.
The Salvation Army is working with the provincial emergency management department and the provincial highway engineer and is working together on this issue on a daily basis.
